BCS? More Like BS
On November 3rd Barack Obama appeared on Monday Night Football and when asked what he would do to change pro sports he replied he wanted to add playoffs to determine the national champion in college football. Last night, November 16th, he appeared on 60 Minutes and repeated his stance, saying there should be an 8 team playoff and a shorter regular season to accomodate that. As a fan of college football I have to agree completely with him.
The current system does not work. If there are 3 undefeated teams then only two get to play for the right to be the top team. With a playoff it would leave the conversation and second-guessing out and everyone would know who the undisputed number one team would be. Cutting the season short would be a good idea too, leaving out the early games teams use as preseason games anyway. There would be no more Youngstown St. playing Ohio St. in meaningless matchups.
Also, it is still possible to keep the bowls. Keep the last game as a bowl game and match up the 6 teams that lose in the playoffs in bowl games to determine final rankings. Also, add a few more bowls and college football doesn't lose money, which is what is keeping them from changing to a playoff system. The BCS can still be utilized to set up the playoff matches. For instance, #1 would go against #8 and so on. Also, if a team has lost to two of the teams in the playoffs they are automatically eliminated, which would be Oklahoma this year if they lose to Texas Tech this weekend.
This would not take away from the regular season as BCS coordinator John Swofford says. Rather it would enhance it. Teams would play harder in key matchups in conferences like the Big 10, Big 12, and the SEC where competition for playoff spots would be more fierce. It would lead to better regular season games and more drama in the playoffs, with each team realizing they have a good shot to be national champions.
John Swofford needs to listen to Obama. He isn't the first person to say there need to be playoffs and he isn't the only one who feels that way. He represents a vast majority of football fans who realize this current system cannot claim to crown an undisputed #1 team. Even high school has playoffs. Only college doesn't host playoffs to determine the best team.
The BCS has failed the last few seasons as well. Last year they matched up Ohio State against LSU when almost everyone knew it would be a blowout and teams like USC, Georgia, and Missouri would have been better matchups. In 2006 there were 6 one-loss teams in the top ten and an undefeated Boise State when Florida beat Ohio State. In 2004 USC beat Oklahoma in the national championship game when Auburn was also undefeated in a very tough SEC. In 2003 USC and LSU were both crowned #1 after LSU won the title game and USC impressed in their bowl game. These were all cases where the BCS failed to crown a team undisputed champion.
Barack Obama has it right. Anyone who has called for playoffs has it right. Shorten the season, pick the top 8 teams, add more bowls, and make the top 8 teams play for their right to be named the best team in college football. This is a system that can be fixed, and college football can adjust it so it doesn't interfere with finals and they can continue to make their millions of dollars.
11/17/09
USC Robbed
For the past two months I've been defending the USC Trojans when others try to say there were other teams more deserving of playing for the National Championship. The only knock on them, besides their loss to a very good Oregon State team, has been the supposed weakness of their conference. That argument can no longer be made. The Pac-10 ends the college football season undefeated in bowl games.
As a Notre Dame fan I know how impressive USC was this year. Want proof? Watch the replays of USC's dominating 38-3 victory over my beloved Irish. Notre Dame wasn't that good this year, but USC held back. That game could have easily been 80-0. No, seriously. On Thursday USC destroyed Joe Pa and the Penn State Nittany Lions 38-24 in the Rose Bowl. Only the score makes the game seem close.
Teams like Oklahoma, Alabama, and Texas were all ranked higher in the BCS standings because they play in the Big-12 and SEC, conferences that are supposedly better. The Big-12 is 3-2 so far (with a loss against a Pac-10 team) and the SEC is better at 5-2, but #4 ranked Alabama was upset Friday by Utah. Comparitively, the Pac-10 is better at 5-0.
Now, imagine if people were actually allowed to watch what should be the real National Championship game. That game would be Florida against USC. My reasoning for picking this matchup is simple. Florida beat Alabama to be proven the best team in the SEC, but what's the best team in the Big 12? Texas Tech, Texas, and Oklahoma all beat each other, and it came down to the 7th tiebreaker before Oklahoma was finally awarded the decision (even though they lost to Texas on a neutral site and Texas only narrowly lost to Texas Tech). There was no clear-cut victor and there's still debate about which team is best.
When Florida destroys Oklahoma in the title game I hope it opens up more discussion of how we, once again, were given the wrong title game. Oklahoma will be overmatched by Florida and the only team that could give USC a run for it's money would be the Gators. That would have been an amazing game. Two tough defenses and two really good offenses going head to head, squaring off for the right to be crowned 2009 National Champions. In a week we'll all be left scratching our heads, asking each other the all-too-familar, "What if..."
1/03/09
